In order to ensure that healthcare professionals from abroad understand the Dutch health legislation, translations of this legislation are required. This thesis contributes to this purpose by...Show moreIn order to ensure that healthcare professionals from abroad understand the Dutch health legislation, translations of this legislation are required. This thesis contributes to this purpose by translating frequently occurring medical and legal terms in the BIG law. These terms will be collected in a terminology. Healthcare professionals can consult this terminology before applying to the BIG register, to make sure that they understand the contents of the BIG law.Show less
Song translation is a relatively under-researched field in Translation Studies (Susam-Sarajeva, 2008, p. 187). Most studies that do exist revolve around singability (Low, 2003; Stopar 2016),...Show moreSong translation is a relatively under-researched field in Translation Studies (Susam-Sarajeva, 2008, p. 187). Most studies that do exist revolve around singability (Low, 2003; Stopar 2016), singability and rhyme (Low, 2008), or fidelity to the source text (Franzon 2005). The combination of song translation theory and metaphor theory, however, is a virtually unresearched combination of fields. Low (2017) states: “[s]ong lyrics are often rich in metaphor” and he recommends that song translators, more than 'regular' translators, should “attempt to maintain the richness of metaphor” (p. 34). This thesis analyses three songs from musicals that have been translated from English to Dutch. These musicals are of different genres and for different audiences, to include the influence that these factors might have had on the choices of the translators. The musicals used in this study are drama musical Les Misérables (E: 1985; D: 1991), animated film musical Anastasia (1997) and romantic comedy musical Hairspray (E: 1988; D: 2003). Using the MIPVU (Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam [Steen et al., 2010]), this thesis analyses the metaphors in the three songs, in both the English source text and the Dutch target text. Subsequently, it attempts to establish how the translators dealt with the metaphors, and, ultimately, to see whether the fact that the target texts are singable translations of a song had any influence on the choices of the translator. This is endeavoured by answering two questions. Firstly, can the translations of the metaphors in songs be analysed by means of Newmark's (1981) and Schäffner's (2004) categorizations of procedures used in metaphor translation? Secondly, can singularities be explained through Low's pentathlon principle (2005) for song translation?Show less
Tom Lanoye's play Koningin Lear is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only is it a radical modernization of the plot, it is also a translation from English to Dutch. In adapting and...Show moreTom Lanoye's play Koningin Lear is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only is it a radical modernization of the plot, it is also a translation from English to Dutch. In adapting and translating King Lear, Lanoye uses for his play Koningin Lear elements from the original combined with new elements, resulting in hybridity. This hybridity is a dual hybridity since there is hybridity in both the play as a translation and as an adaptation.Show less
The effectiveness of advertising texts largely depends on the way they are written. Torresi’s information-to-persuasion ratio is a way of defining the stylistic traits of advertising texts in terms...Show moreThe effectiveness of advertising texts largely depends on the way they are written. Torresi’s information-to-persuasion ratio is a way of defining the stylistic traits of advertising texts in terms of their informativeness and persuasiveness. This ratio can be used to determine the way an advertising text should be translated, so that the translated advertising text is effective. The purpose of this thesis was to experiment with Torresi’s theory by examining the effects different information-to-persuasion ratios have on readers, and to determine the potential this ratio holds for sales optimisation, using three translations of one English advertising text that have different information-to-persuasion ratios. One translation had the same ratio as the source text, one translation was more informative, and one was more persuasive. The results, gathered through a survey, did not always concur with Torresi’s theory. The results showed that translating texts in a more informative or persuasive manner may have a few benefits. For instance, it may provide readers with a better understanding of the product being sold. In addition, the general information about the product was considered more credible in the informative TT compared to the neutral TT. However, it appeared that changing the ratio may also have several negative effects that override the benefits. For example, it may lengthen the text to such an extent that the reader finds it more difficult to focus on the text. Moreover, the readers of the neutral TT found the product the most relevant for them. Overall, the neutral translation was the most effective translation. In other words, experimenting with the information-to-persuasion ratio did not improve advertising effectiveness in this case, and may therefore hold little to no potential for sales optimisation.Show less
In this thesis, an analysis of cultural differences through language in film translation is made. Looking at three versions of the Disney film Frozen, cultural elements have been illustrated and...Show moreIn this thesis, an analysis of cultural differences through language in film translation is made. Looking at three versions of the Disney film Frozen, cultural elements have been illustrated and compared to show how American, Japanese and Dutch culture differ from each other.Show less
The present Master’s thesis seeks to develop a better understanding of the translation of idiolect in narrative dialogue. Idiolect found in three characters (two villains and one hero) from Roald...Show moreThe present Master’s thesis seeks to develop a better understanding of the translation of idiolect in narrative dialogue. Idiolect found in three characters (two villains and one hero) from Roald Dahl’s children’s novels Matilda and The Witches is analyzed by means of Juliane House’s model for translation quality assessment. Central to this discussion is the way in which the idiolects function regarding character portrayal, and how the Dutch translations affect this, if at all. The analyses demonstrate that idiolect is retained in all translations, although slight shifts have occurred in the translation process. These alterations mainly affect the humorous effect of the villains. The hero is less notably affected, because her idiolect is less explicitly present. Concluding, retaining idiolect in translation texts is salient for character portrayal.Show less
Since the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for...Show moreSince the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for the stylistic features of the source text, and these are therefore largely lost. For a text which relies heavily on stylistic features, such as poetry, this means that a word-for-word translation can actually be an impediment to a full appreciation of the text. Philology and its translation methods originated in the nineteenth century, but more recently, starting from around the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the field of translation studies has given rise to alternative ways of thinking about translation. Translation theory has concerned itself with such matters as how best to maintain stylistic features and which word choice might be the most appropriate given the text as a whole. Thus, it seems that there is an opportunity here for a productive cooperation between philology and translation studies. This thesis summarises translation theory which is relevant to the translation of Old English poetry, and directly demonstrates the relevance of translation theory to philology by putting it into practice in the translation of the Old English poem, Deor.Show less
Since the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for...Show moreSince the field’s inception, the most common method of translation within philology has been the word-for-word, “literal” method of translation. Word-for-word translations have no regard at all for the stylistic features of the source text, and these are therefore largely lost. For a text which relies heavily on stylistic features, such as poetry, this means that a word-for-word translation can actually be an impediment to a full appreciation of the text. Philology and its translation methods originated in the nineteenth century, but more recently, starting from around the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the field of translation studies has given rise to alternative ways of thinking about translation. Translation theory has concerned itself with such matters as how best to maintain stylistic features and which word choice might be the most appropriate given the text as a whole. Thus, it seems that there is an opportunity here for a productive cooperation between philology and translation studies. This thesis summarises translation theory which is relevant to the translation of Old English poetry, and directly demonstrates the relevance of translation theory to philology by putting it into practice in the translation of the Old English poem, Deor.Show less
Jan Wolkers’ Turks Fruit (1969) was and remains a sensational novel, famous for its explicit sex scenes and use of crude language. March 2017 saw the publication of the first American English...Show moreJan Wolkers’ Turks Fruit (1969) was and remains a sensational novel, famous for its explicit sex scenes and use of crude language. March 2017 saw the publication of the first American English translation of the novel, titled Turkish Delight. So far, no scholar has analysed this new translation by Sam Garrett and even though many articles have been written about swearing in translation, e.g. Crisafulli (1997) and Santaemilia (2008 and 2013), little to no research has been done into the Dutch and English language pair. The main question that I have addressed in this thesis is this: “What was Sam Garrett’s translation strategy while translating Turks Fruit (1969) with regard to taboo language and swearing?” In answer to this question, taboo language in the ST and the TT has been analysed in this research using Pinker’s (2008) pragmatic categories of swear words and the translation procedures used in the TT, Turkish Delight, have been analysed using Vinay & Darbelnet’s (1958) theory on translation strategies. Greenall’s (2008) theory has been used to determine a difference in swearing constraint between the Dutch and American cultures. The analysis ascertains three main points. Firstly, Garrett stays fairly faithful to the ST; he has mostly used a direct translation strategy (66%) and never changes the type of swearing used in the ST. Secondly, the most striking exception to this direct translation strategy is that he has added taboo language and swear words to the TT that were not present in the ST. Thirdly, this irregularity can be explained by a difference in strength of the swearing constraint between the ST readership and the TT readership. Sam Garrett’s translation strategy with regard to taboo language and swearing in Turks Fruit (1969) seems to have been to create a translation with an equivalent attention-getting effect.Show less
There exists a significant amount of research on translation strategies regarding the subtitling of humour and wordplay. However, the translation of eggcorns, malapropisms, and other types of...Show moreThere exists a significant amount of research on translation strategies regarding the subtitling of humour and wordplay. However, the translation of eggcorns, malapropisms, and other types of linguistic blunders have been largely ignored. This thesis attempts to fill this research gap by investigating the translation strategies used for linguistic blunders, or ‘Rickyisms’, in the Dutch subtitles of the Netflix mockumentary Trailer Park Boys. The strategies omission, literal translation, and retention, which occur in taxonomies of existing research were identified. A high rate of omission (64.4%) indicates a significant loss of Rickyisms and humour for the following reasons: no suitable Dutch equivalent (21.5%), temporal/spatial restrictions (15.4%), and grammatical errors (33.8%). Additionally, an overlap between temporal/spatial restrictions and grammatical errors (13.8%) and some omissions which are unjustified (15.4%) were identified. A new two-phase model for the strategies where the Rickyism is retained has been developed. Phase one pertains to the translation of the phrase as if it were correct and phase two pertains to the translation of the error. This resulted in the categories Literal-Literal (58.3%), Literal-Substitution (13.9%), and Substitution-Substitution (27.8%). This first strategy seems to be the preferred one when the linguistic properties of the source and target language permit it. Substitution in phase two includes numerous different shifts in terms of type of error.Show less
This thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this...Show moreThis thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this position will lead translators of children's literature to use a more laissez-faire approach when translating. With the use of Antoine Berman's model of deforming tendencies, texts for adults and texts for children and their translations are compared to see whether more "negative" changes occur in children's literature, thus showing that children's literature is indeed situated in a peripheral position in the literary polysystem.Show less
Literary translation is a separate field within translation studies demanding its own approaches. This argument is supported in Part I by an assessment of the "Hermeneutical approach" to...Show moreLiterary translation is a separate field within translation studies demanding its own approaches. This argument is supported in Part I by an assessment of the "Hermeneutical approach" to Translation Studies, as represented in the thought of Jakobson, Benjamin, Derrida, Ricoeur, Jiri Levy, and George Steiner, which offers a strong foundation. Their thinking falls together in considering translation and interpretation to be full equivalents, entailing never-ending processes; in appreciating the holistic quality of the literary work of art and translation's relationship to it, as well as translation's role in the Nachleben of the work of literature; and in demanding creative language use and linguistic hospitality as part of the translator's labor. Part II of the thesis places the tasks of the literary translator as editor/redactor, particularly in consideration of the use of paratexts, on this foundation as one way of limiting hermeneutical activity. The translator redactor must act as a book compiler, a scholar-annotator, and an analyst commentator, or at least consider these roles. In this way, the thesis unites theory and practice while promoting the positive utility of hermeneutics for translation and yet setting limits for the translator's interventions, particularly in helping the reader's own process of interpretation by providing paratextual guides and aids.Show less
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of translations of legal texts produced by DeepL, a neural machine translation system. By consulting relevant laws and legal dictionaries, this...Show moreThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of translations of legal texts produced by DeepL, a neural machine translation system. By consulting relevant laws and legal dictionaries, this study finds that DeepL's Dutch to English translation of legal texts contains syntactic and terminological errors.Show less
Today, various translation applications exist which are used daily by millions of people. However useful these applications are, occasionally they fail to deliver adequate translations. This paper...Show moreToday, various translation applications exist which are used daily by millions of people. However useful these applications are, occasionally they fail to deliver adequate translations. This paper explains how applications following Statistical Machine Translation methods would translate negation in sentences from Dutch to English, why this can lead to inadequate translations, and compares these findings with how different theoretical linguistic frameworks approach negation. The paper ends with a suggestion that, as theoretical linguistic frameworks show, using statistics alone is not sufficient when translating negation in sentences from Dutch to English.Show less
In this paper, I aim to assess the translation quality of Tommy Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot using House’s translation quality model. In translation, the choices a translator makes affect the reader’s...Show moreIn this paper, I aim to assess the translation quality of Tommy Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot using House’s translation quality model. In translation, the choices a translator makes affect the reader’s response. House’s model for translation quality assessment tests these choices and makes a distinction between an overt and covert translation. An overt translation is ST oriented; cultural specific elements are retained in the TT and it is not directed at the TT readers, whereas a covert translation enjoys the status of an original in the target culture. The model focuses on the lexical, syntactic and textual means used to construct the register of a text. The application of House’s TQA model to Wieringa’s Joe Speedboot will show whether it is covert, overt or an interplay of both.Show less
This piece of research looks at contemporary Chinese poetry through the lens of translation. The theoretical framework acting both as a premise and as the background for the whole project, which...Show moreThis piece of research looks at contemporary Chinese poetry through the lens of translation. The theoretical framework acting both as a premise and as the background for the whole project, which ties contemporary Chinese poetry and translation together, is the idea of world literature as defined by David Damrosch. By considering specific poems by Bei Dao and Yang Lian, this work aims at defining the crucial role of translation in determining the "trajectory" of texts within world literature.Show less
Automotive Customer Facing Literature is increasingly responsible for enticing customers to a car brand or car model. Low translation quality in this documentation can have a detrimental effect on...Show moreAutomotive Customer Facing Literature is increasingly responsible for enticing customers to a car brand or car model. Low translation quality in this documentation can have a detrimental effect on the quality perception of the brands by potential customers. This thesis examines the Automotive Customer Facing Literature, such as brochures, specification and price guides, and website texts, for the premium car brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) and can be positioned within the fields of Terminology, Translation and Translation Quality Assessment. Since the involvement of the new communication agency Spark44, two years ago, the translation quality of ACFL texts has decreased due to mistranslations, incorrect language use and polluted translation memories and term bases. This is a serious problem that an increasing number of markets complain about. Therefore, this study has examined the translation process for JLR Nederland and provides a Translation Quality Assessment (TQA) utilizing the Multidoc adaptation of the SAE J2450 model, which was specially designed for assessing automotive translations. Based on the results from both the mathematical and observational TQA, the main problems have been identified and solution/advices for these problems have been presented. The aim of this thesis is to present solutions and advice to the involved companies to help them improve the translation quality of their target texts in the Netherlands and other European markets, and eventually all markets worldwide. This has been done in cooperation with the Dutch Product Manager and the in-house transcreator of Jaguar Land Rover Nederland (JLR NL), who, thanks to extensive translation reviews, is responsible for the high quality of the translated texts for the Dutch market, and the Product Manager of JLR NL. Therefore, this thesis will be presented to the Dutch Product manager of JLR NL, the in-house transcreator of JLR NL, Spark44, and the translation agency responsible for all the translations of Automotive Customer Facing Literature (above the line) for both brands.Show less
